Dental file holder or carrier



(N0 ModeL) H. E WALES.

DENTAL FILE HOLDER 0R CARRIER.

No.- 315,575. Patented Apr. 14, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT n. WALES, or HAVERHILL, MASSAGHUSE'ITS.

DENTAL FILE HOLDER OR CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,575, dated April 14, 1885. Application filed February 19, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, -HERBERT E. WALES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Haverhill, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in File Holders or Carriers; and I do hereby declare that the same are fully described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

This invention relates to an improved file holder or carrier for holding and securing delicate files,sueh as are termed separatingfiles, and used in the art of dentistry. Such separating-files are very thin and brittle, and when used to file between two adjoining teeth the files very often get broken, causing unnecessary expense and delay; and to avoid such objections I carry out my invention as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, where Figure 1 represents a sectional side elevation of the improved file-holder. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section on the line A B shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 represents a crosssection on the line 0 D shown in Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to Similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

a represents a dentists toothseparating file of the ordinary kind used for such purpose.

The holder for receiving the file a is composed of the handle I), made of metal or other suitable material, which handle is extended forward as the grooved bar 11, having a longitudinal groove on its under side for the reception of the upper edge of the thin file a. The outer end of grooved bar b is bent downward as an internally-grooved piece, b", in which one end of the file a'is inserted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The other end of the file a is inserted in the grooved adjustable block a,

hinged in its upper end at c to the handle b, and it is made adjustable to and from the end of file a by means of the regulating-screw d, screwed through the handle (1 at b and provided with a serrated head, (1, by which it may be easily turned.

To Secure the thin file a to the holder it is only necessary to insert it so that its upper edge Shall rest in the grooved bar I) and its ends, respectively, in the groovedend piece, I), and grooved block a, after which I secure the file firmly in the said holder by tightening up the screw at until the ends of the file are held firmly between the grooved end 22 and grooved block 0, as shown in Figs. 1. and 2.

In using the file the bar b serves as a gage to prevent the file from going too far between the teeth-that is, if the teeth above the gums are higher than the widthof the file; but

where it is desired to file between the teeth only a certain distance, less thanthe width of the file a, I use detachable gage-pieces e e of the required height, which gage-pieces I attach on both sides of the file a between the end piece, I), and forward part of handle 12, f close up to bar 11, as shown in Fig.1, so as to leave only such portion of the width of file a exposed as corresponds withthe depth to be filed between the teeth. Such gage-pieces e 6 may be made of metal, wood, or other suitable material, and crowded temporarily in position between the parts above mentioned, or otherwise secured in place, as may be desired. By this arrangement I prevent accidental breakage of the file, as well as preventing any injury to the gums or lips while the file is being used, the gages e 6 serving to protect the gums above or below, as the case may be, from being cut, and the upper side of the bar b acts as a lip-guard to protect the lips from being cut HERBERT E. WALES.

Witnesses:

HORACE M. SARGENT, F. S. HAMLIN. 

